Yunin
The Yunin are an enigmatic xenos race, supposedly hailing from the uncharted depths of space in the Halo Zone, past the borders of the Eressa sector. Beyond the reach of the Astronomicon, the Halo Zone marks the end of human influence, as mere Warp Travel is nothing but a dangerous gamble there. Encounters with representatives of this species have been reported since the end of the 40th Millennium, but the first confirmed contact occurred in 405.M41 under the authority of Hector Decebal. The exact details of the meeting remain a mystery, though many suspect that the Rogue Trader struck some sort of bargain with the Xenos, as visitors report of strange trophies and exotic weaponries occasionally displayed in the family's halls. At the current day, there exist only a handful of confirmed informations about the Yunin, most of them privy to the ranks of the Inquisition and the Deathwatch. However, persistent rumors tell of a small colony of them on Stahlrose. Phsyiology Reports regarding their appearance lack uniform and individually observed traits generally drift apart widely. Most of the reports regarding them are discarded as exaggerations made by the witnesses and generally, both are disposed quickly. Despite this, some observances have been acknowledged due to their repeated occurrence and partly confirmed by a single specimen, Subject Alpha, recovered by the Magos Xenobiologis in service of the Deatchwatch aboard Watch Fortress Malepertus. Appearance The Yunin are a humanoid bipedal race, standing at heights between 1,5 and 3,5 meters. Their skin is usually of a waxen texture and pallid, though dark gray or red shades have also been observed. Typically, they lack any facial or body hair and the color of their scalps are either black, white or a range of primary colors. Two pairs of eyes sit on their skulls, a main one topped by a smaller one above their brows. While their sockets are natural, Subject Alpha and eye-witness reports strongly suggest that they are at some point replaced with augmetics, enabling them to see in several spectrums. Biology Their genetic structure is based on silicon instead of carbon, though the larger implications this holds on their evolution and home planet have not yet been disclosed. While sexual dimorphism exists, a regression of both external and internal sexual organs suggest that the Yunin reproduce asexually, perhaps with the use of vats and cloning, though that is mere guesswork. To the horror of scholars, the Yunin seem to be a blend of organic and synthetic life. Not only do they feature extensive exterior augmetics such as synthetic arms, legs, eyes or other sensory organs, they also possess numerous inner bionics such as organs, muscle tissue or entire nerve strands. The most baffling of these devices is one found in the brain of Subject Alpha, resembling imperial Mind Impulse Units, though of a much higher sophistication and complexity. It remains unknown whether this device was unique to Subject Alpha or is commonly implanted into all Yunin. However, all augmetics found on Subject Alpha lacked the usually scar tissue associated with external implantation and thorough investigation and experimentation suggested that they are originally of biological origin, differentiated from unspecified cells into their eventual, machine-like form. Among the discoveries was the strong reaction of the specimen's organic matter to electric currents, which lead to violent and unrestrained cell-growth. It is theorized that the Yunin direct the growth of their bodies with the use of electric currents. History While some documents, artifacts and data-collections have reached the hands of the Inquisition and the Orders Dialogous in Eressa, the gap in technology and the nigh-mythical style of the recovered texts make it difficult to put together a comprehensible history of the race. Many facts and details regarding their development are therefore little more than speculation. The Old Night At an unspecified point in time, before the Yunin ascended to space, they were under the rule of another race. Details about their masters are lacking, only stating that they held the Yunin on a tight leash while exploiting them for manual labor. At some point in time however, these masters vanished, leaving the Yunin to their own devices. Without them, the people fell into disarray and back into a state of primitive, warring tribes. It is unclear when this period started or for how long it lasted, but slowly, the technological progress, partly fueled by relics left behind by their former masters, brought peace and eventually, prosperity. Ascension As the Yunin began to conquer space, the limitations of their mortal lifespan began to pose a severe problem. Lacking Psykers and therefore access to the Warp, even regular FTL drives would not take a spaceship far enough before the crew would die of age. The first step to overcome this hurdle was the development of increasingly autonomous machines and unmanned vessels sent out to explore. While this provided the Yunin with exorbitant amounts of data, it did not solve the core problem. Change came in form of two developments. Faced with their own mortality in face of the sheer vastness of space, the Yunin honed their bio-engineering technology to formerly unknown levels. The peak of their prowess has been the synthetic tissue, able to be shaped into the form of limbs, organs and even nerve tissue. This, in combination with the progress in cloning and augmentics has lead to the Yunin becoming a biomechanical race. The second decisive factor was the discovery of Psykers between the 15th and the 25th Millennium. Granted knowledge of, though not direct access to the Warp, scholars theorize that it was the contact with Psykers that enabled the Yunin to develop their teleportation technology, though it remains unknown why they did not integrate the Psyker genome into their own genes. Expansion Despite being unable to traverse the Warp in the same fashion humanity does, the Yunin were able to develop a highly sophisticated form of long range teleportation. With the already vast network of unmanned vessels and drones, it did not take long before the Yunin had conquered their own star system and used its resources to further spread their influence. Lacking dates or corresponding events in imperial history make it difficult to mark this progress, but it is theorized, among the few knowledgeable about the subject, that this phase of their civilization lasts to this very day. Spread To the common masses of Eressa and in consequence the Imperium at large, the existence of the Yunin is entirely unknown. Aside from their suspected colony on Stahlrose, they do not possess any known strongholds or outposts within the borders of the Eressa sector. Despite this, some myths of the sector's human population have recently been brought into connection with the Yunin's existence, at least by those possessing the necessary knowledge to make such conclusions. Among the few scholars who persistently examine the Yunin, it is generally agreed upon that their home world lies in the Halo Zone, far from the reach of the Imperium. Society As far as it is discernible by Inquisitors and scholars, the Yunin seem to lack a central authority. Envoys and contacts often refer to their office as 'situational' or 'temporary', suggesting their appointment on demand rather than as a permanent position. Soldiers and military personnel seem to be an exception, permanently operating their heavily augmented bodies and protecting their colony from aggressors. Technology The machines, weapons, automatons and even ships recovered from the Yunin show a high grade of individualism in their design despite operating on common, basic principals. Rather than mass-produced, they seem custom-tailored for a specific user or platform. Artificial Intelligences Though dreaded and loathed by the Imperium, the Yunin widely employ sentient machines, most often in the form of hulking automatons carrying an array of destructive weaponry or leaping into close combat with curved claws and lances. Similarly, the vessels retrieved by authorities stood under the command of artificial intelligences, often impossible to steer or control manually. All devices, vessels and machines containing these intelligences have been destroyed without exception, as they are regarded as tech-heresy of the highest degree. Weapons Ever since the initial encounter of the first Lord Decebal and some of the enigmatic leaders of the Yunin, both the Rogue Trader family and countless smugglers occasionally offer the exotic weapons used by these Xenos to high bidders within the sector's nobility or the scholars of the Explorator Fleet VX-7743.II under Erridan Kraus. Volley-Launchers Most common among the recovered weapons are so called Volley-Launchers, multi-barreled weapons that fire high amounts of solid projectiles propelled by magnetic acceleration. These slugs shatter upon impact, to devastating effects against unarmored targets and the sheer amount of launched projectiles endangers even highly armored soldiers. Deconstructors Deconstructors cover an area in a mist of microscopic nano-machines that rapidly corrode organic matter in a matter of moments. Most often they come in the form of a device to eject the machines and a storage container, but Deconstructor grenades, bombs and torpedoes have also been encountered. Graviton Weapons These weapons operate similarly to those of Imperial origin, manipulating gravity in the target area through the projection of graviton particles. Different from the variants used by the Imperium however, weapons recovered from the Yinun usually work on the principle of repression, forcing the atomic bonds of matter around a projected beam to twist and bend the target's mass until the target eventually explodes, dissolves or falls apart. This principle favors precision while sacrificing area control. Gravitron Melee Weapons Unusually, the Yunin have applied the use of graviton particles to melee weapons as well. Taking the form of blades or mauls, a graviton generator within the weapon's hilt drastically increases its mass moments before impact, exponentially amplifying their destructive power. Another breed is the Expansion Gauntlet, not unlike a Power Fist in experience. Not lethal in itself, it explosively expands the molecules in front of it and is usually used to push heavy objects or opponents away. Space Travel The Yunin do not possess Navigators or Astropaths, yet are capable of traversing the Warp with the use of long range teleportation directed by autonomous drones. It remains unknown how exactly their warp drives operate, though their mastery of bio-technology leads some to draw horrific conclusions. Military Yunin troops are either large amounts of autonomous drones and robots overseen by a small cadre of officer or specialized troops that carry vast amounts of firepower into battle. Both are highly flexible, fast moving forces, designed to overwhelm their opponents quickly. Officers make frequent use of stealth and advanced shields on top of their highly advanced sensor technology. This means that a Yunin force is able to go toe-to-toe with most of their opponents, despite being usually outnumbered. Quotes About = Feel free to leave your own. = Category:Xenos Species Category:Xenos Category:Segmentum Pacificus Category:Eressa Sector